Pendulum locking device for clocks



Nov. 29, 1938. H. JUNGHANS PENDULUM LOCKING DEVICE FOR CLOCKS FiledApril 6, 1938 Jaren/ar: He/muz Jung/mus B m, 4 94 14 fzorae gs PatentedNov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 6, 1938,Serial No.- 200,295 In Germany January 19, 1937 5 Claims.

This invention relates to pendulum locking device for clocks. The objectof the invention is to provide a pendulum locking device which could beactuated without it being necessary to remove 5 the clock from its placeand to open the clockcase.

The invention deals with the problem of providing a pendulum lockingdevice which is accessible from any desired point of the outside of theclock case and enables the pendulum to be caught, locked or unlocked andcaused to start oscillating.

The solution of this problem consists according to the invention in thatin the plane of oscillation of the pendulum is arranged a back stay anda rotatable gripper for bringing up the pendulum bob to, and looking itin, the back stay, and in that the gripper can be actuated and locked inits safety position from the front side of the clock.

According to additional features of the invention, the gripper may bebuilt as a two-armed lever which cooperates with a rotatable catch. Therotatable catch is actuated from the front side of the clock and seizesthen first the control arm by means of a running-on curve whichoriginally rises and then comes down to a notch, turns the double leveruntil the gripper is in its safety position and is then itself turned alittle further until the control arm engages, under the action of itsown elasticity, with the notch. Further, the rotatable catch may bemounted on a winding arbor of the train and provided with a bush orsleeve fitting into the key hole, this sleeve being slotted at the edgeand seized by means of lugs provided on the handle of the usual windingkey.

A construction according to the invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the drawing in which Figure l is a perspective view of thependulum locking device in closed state.

Figure 2 shows the opened pendulum locking device, locking from the backof the clockwork.

Figure 3 the winding key which is provided with a special device foractuating the locking device.

On the back plate a of the train is suspended at b the pendulum c. Inthe plane of oscillation of the pendulum, beyond its (left hand) pointof reversing, to the pin (2 is secured the back stay e. It is providedwith a recess 1 in the form of a two-corner figure constituted by twoarcs of a circle. Into the said recess fits the pendulum bob which is ofa slightly larger diameter. Between the train plates (of which only theback plate a is shown) is mounted the spindle g. It carries the gripperlever h which terminates in a fork i.

The gripper lever carries at its upper end a block it which can be setin any desired angular position on the spindle g by means of the screwZ.

On the winding arbor of which only the key square m is shown, is mountedthe rotatable catch 5 n. It carries a bush or sleeve 0, which fits intothe key hole in the dial and is flush with the latter. The bush 0 isprovided at the edge with two slots p. The usual winding key 11 of theclock (compare Figure 3) has on its handle lugs w by means of which thebush can be seized at the slots 13. The outer end of the rotatable catchhas a runningon curve q which first rises relatively to the centre ofrotation of the latch and then passes into a notch 1 (compare Figure 2).With the rotatable catch 11 cooperates the pin s of the disc 15eccentrically secured to the gripper lever spindle g. With the disc tengages further the spring u which tends to turn the gripper spindleinto the free position.

The working of the device is as foll0ws:Let it be assumed that thedevice is built into a wall clock and the latter has to be removed fromthe wall. In order that the pendulum and the sensitive pendulum springshould not be damaged during the transport, the pendulum is lockedbefore the clock is taken oii. The individual parts of the lockingdevice are still in the position indicated in Figure 2. The key 1; isthen introduced (in the reverse way to that during the winding) with thelugs 11) into the slots of the sleeve 0, and the key turned in theclockwise direction. After a certain amount of turning, the curve qarrives at the pin s and as it rises, turns the pin and therefore alsothe gripper lever h. The latter is turned in the direction towards thestay e, catches with its fork i the pendulum bob c and. guides ittowards the stay. The pendulum bob engages now partially with theopening 1 of the stay, the fork prongs being guided by the edges of thestay and somewhat spread apart owing to their springiness. The pendulumbob 0 and the gripper it have now arrived at their end position. Thecatch n will be nevertheless turned still further. The pin s yieldsslightly in a springy manner until the highest point of the running-oncurve is reached, when it drops into the notch 7'. The pendulum is nowlocked.

In unlocking, the proceeding is the reverse one. After some turning ofthe catch, the pin a is released and the gripper h is brought back tothe free position by the action of the spring u. The pendulum alsobecomes disengaged from its locked position and as in that position itwas beyond the reversing point of its oscillation, gets 5 enough swingso that the anchor can drop and the clock start going.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention, and in What manner the same is to be performed, I declarethat What I claim is:

1. In a pendulum locking device for clocks, a back stay located in theplane of oscillation of the pendulum bob, a rotatable gripper adapted tobe actuated from the front of the clock for moving the pendulum bob intoengagement with the said back stay, and means for locking the saidgripper in the engaged position of the bob.

2. In a pendulum locking device for clocks, a stay located in the planeof oscillation of the pendulum bob, a rotatable gripper, a rotatablecatch adapted upon its rotation to move the said gripper into engagementWith the pendulum bob and thereupon the pendulum bob into engagementwith the said back stay, and means for locking the said gripper in theengaged position of the bob.

3. In a pendulum locking device for clocks, a back stay located in theplane of oscillation of the pendulum bob, a rotatable gripper, a pinmounted eccentrically in fixed relation to the said gripper, and arotatable catch having a runningon curve terminating in a notch, thesaid running-on curve upon rotation of the said catch co-operating withthe said pin to move the said gripper into engagement with the pendulumbob and the pendulum bob into engagement with the said back stay, andthe said pin thereupon entering the said notch to lock the said gripperin the engaged position of the bob.

4. In a pendulum locking device for clocks, a back stay located in theplane of oscillation of the pendulum bob, a rotatable gripper, arotatable catch adapted upon its rotation to co-operate with the saidgripper to move it into engagement with the pendulum bob and thependulum bob into engagement with the said back stay, a recessed sleevesupporting the said catch and mounted on the Winding arbor of the clock,means for looking the said gripper in the engaged position of the bob,and means for engaging in the recesses of the said sleeve for thepurpose of rotating the catch.

5. In a pendulum locking device for clocks as clairned in claim 4, aclock key having projections at its one end corresponding to therecesses in the sleeve for the purpose of engaging and turning thesleeve to rotate the said catch.

HELMUT J UN GHANS.

